EAST FREMANTLE TEAM SONG

Back in 1979 East Fremantle were making a late run for the WAFL final four. Former East Perth and South Melbourne player Ian Thompson had been induced by Old East coach Brad Smith to come out of the WA Amateur league and resume his career. I was recording Correct Weight at Planet Studios in Perth. Tony Buhagiar and Barry Wilson grabbed me after a game – a loss I think, and asked could I write a new song for the guys to sing. They thought it might lift morale. I went one better. I had the studio ready to go so one night I got them to bring virtually the whole team down to sing the song I had written that had been orchestrated by the legendary ABC musical genius “Tappers”. The song was intended to be a new club song but there was resistance from the old guard on the committee. However, a concession was made and the guys were allowed to call it the East Fremantle Team Song. Through my contacts we got the track cut and pressed and delivered in time for the Grand Final. There was no guarantee East would make the four let alone the grand final but from the time we recorded that song we did not lose a game. On grand final night the players were able to sell the singles with all funds going to the players trip. I contributed the recording costs. I have only two singles as a memento but I would have paid twenty times over to realise that football dream: East beat South Fremantle in a Derby grand final in front of the biggest ever WAFL crowd.

6 Comments on EAST FREMANTLE TEAM SONG

well remember this, just played my copy to be sure, ah! remember how it was organised for Dave Martin Myself & 2 others, (names to history lost), were given a East Fremantle Guernsey and with a cage on the back of the tractor, we rounded up the Sth Freo Bulldog mascot & placed him in the cage, how the Est Freo punters cheered as we rode around the oval ‘victors’ before the match even started, how the ‘shouts of derision’ were hurled our way as we rode past the Sth Freo crowd, & so with the job of demoralizing Sth’s done we released the Mascot & i humbly write this, that in my own way I helped,(as you write), “East beat South Fremantle in a Derby grand final in front of the biggest ever WAFL crowd”. I also went from table to table helping to sell that single $1.50 I recall? & how we tried to keep those Guernseys dodging the powers that be for 3 days before reluctantly handing them over, & they all needed a wash from after 3 days too! The ‘b’ side is also great, Howie Johnstone holding it all together, ah man…

Ah, that explains it! . I knew Dave had done a East Fremantle footy song, so when in Fremantle once I went to the club & bought a copy of the club song on cassette which I presumed was ‘Dave’s’. It’s clearly not being ‘Cheer cheer’ – but ironically Dave re-did cheer-cheer for his ‘Swan Songs’ EP a few years later substituting ‘red & white’ for ‘blue & white’.

There is also another song I wrote for the centennary – East Fremantle is Football. I think I should edit a you tube video of the two songs and put them up. The song East use “Cheer Cheer” is actually the Notre Dame song. The Swans have official approval from Notre Dame to use it. Thanks Pete.